Pakatan walks out, will not vote on Assembly Bill (MKini)

Pakatan Rakyat MPs walked out of the Dewan Rakyat during the debate on the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 and will not participate in voting on the Bill. The MPs said that they were disgusted that the speaker had only allowed three Pakatan Rakyat MPs – one from each party – to debate what they consider to be a very important piece of legislation. The three who were allowed to speak were Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim (Permatang Pauh-PKR), Lim Guan Eng (Bagan-DAP) and Abdul Hadi Awang (Marang-PAS). Upon Abdul Hadi’s concluding his debate, Pakatan MPs walked out just as Ibrahim Ali (Pasir Mas-Independent) was beginning his speech. Ibrahim was followed by P Kamalanathan (BN-Hulu Selangor), after which Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz addressed the House. Speaking to reporters later, Shah Alam MP Abdul Khalid Samad decried the unfair treatment an...